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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2013-11-28 Daily Xml
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INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS

Mr ODENWALDER (Little Para) (15:22): My question is to the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure. Will the minister inform the house about transport and infrastructure projects worth more than $40 million that have been delivered in this state since 1993?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy, Minister for Housing and Urban Development) (15:23): I think it is best to break down these figures into two 10-year blocks, let's say perhaps from 1993 to 2003, and then we will move on to 2003 to 2013. I am advised between 1993 and 2003 there was a grand total of three projects worth more than $40 million delivered in South Australia. They are—

An honourable member: Three!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Three—the Adelaide to Crafers tunnel, $152 million, an announcement of the former Keating government; the South Road connector with Salisbury Highway, $41 million; and my favourite, the one-way Southern Expressway at $151 million.

It is interesting to note the comparison since 2003 until today. There are more than 20 projects over $40 million in that period and they include: the Adelaide tram extension from Victoria Square to the Entertainment Centre (including new trams), $306 million; Adelaide rail yard upgrade, $152 million; Bakewell Underpass, my favourite that I campaigned for long and hard, ignored by former ministers in the opposition, $40 million; Dukes Highway upgrade, $75 million of a $100-million project; Gallipoli Underpass, $114 million; Gawler line electrification (initial works), $83 million; Gawler line upgrades, $130 million; Goodwood Junction upgrade, $110 million; Northern Expressway, $564 million; Port River Expressway, $260 million; public transport ticketing upgrades, $45 million; relocation of the rail yards, $173 million; Seaford rail line extension, $291 million; shoulder sealing program, $80 million; South Road Superway, $842 million; Southern Expressway duplication, $231 million of a $407-million project; Sturt Highway upgrade, $160 million.

Looking through these figures, it is interesting to see a contrast in infrastructure spending between those two periods, 1993 to 2003 and 2003 to 2013. It is interesting to note that from 1993 to 2003 there was—

Mr Hamilton-Smith: Thanks for the $11.5 billion of debt.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: $11.5 billion in debt, he says. Okay. It is interesting to note that between 1993 and 2003 it was $880 million, but between 2003 and 2013, the infrastructure spend has been more than $6 billion, more than six times the amount on the previous 10 years. It shows a clear contrast between a government that believes in infrastructure and economic development opportunities that it creates and a political party that believes spending on infrastructure is a false economy, a clear contrast between a government that wants to invest in a South Road project with a cost benefit ratio of 2.4-1 and a political party that wants to invest in one that has a cost benefit ratio of .66-1.

The difference could not be starker: the difference in believing in this state's future and those who would have us put in reverse, the difference in fighting for and building South Australia and, of course, those who do not have the courage to fight for this state. It is the difference between Labor and Liberal.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: It does sound a little like debate. The member for Colton.

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